a stormy night story
by ally thorn
Summary: When Fionna finally reveals her one and only fear unintentionally to Marshall, how will he help her forget about it. this is my first story so any criticism is much appreciated.


The rain poured down heavily over the land of Aaa, and in the dark of night few noticed the ferocity of the storm. Most of the people of Aaa were asleep and dreaming, blissfully ignorant of the raging storm outside of their warm comfortable little homes.

There was however, one citizen of the vast land who was awake even though the hour was late. This citizen was Fionna, the blonde haired adventuress, who was certainly not snuggled in her warm bed. She was instead sitting bolt upright on her sofa with a blanket on her lap and a crystal sword clutched in her hand. She was grinding her teeth and uncharacteristically shaking with nervousness. She could take out an ogre with her bare hands, save candy people from burning buildings without batting an eye, and kill anything evil in seconds… but what she couldn't do was brave a storm. Since her childhood she had hated storms.

When she was little cake used to have to sleep with her through them, but now that she was older cake no longer stayed at her side during the tempests. In fact, cake wasn't even home tonight; she was instead out spending the night with Lord Monochromicorn in his home in the crystal dimension. Fionna wished more than anything that her sister would walk through the door… she could even bring Lord Monochromicorn with her for all she cared. All Fionna wanted was to not be alone.

She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep, and that it would be more useful for her to get her butt off the couch and do something of worth, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. In some ways she was frozen with a fear that held every muscle in her body in immobility, but at the same time, she couldn't stop bouncing her leg and twitching out of nervous tendency. She tried to breathe in deep and think happy thoughts that would transport her mind elsewhere, but the happiest thought she could muster was the thought that the storm would suddenly stop, or that someone would come through the door to end her loneliness. She thought about what she would do if Prince Gumball walked through the door to save her, but even that didn't help her… it was simply too impossible… she saved him, he would never save her. It was just the way things were, and the way things needed to stay.

Of course she still liked Gumball, but after the incident with the Ice Queen, Fionna felt her past love for Gumball dull into something more along the lines of a sibling like affection. She loved Gumball in the way she loved Cake, he was nothing but a cute cousin to her now. She was confused by her change in feelings, but it was better to be bent and confused as she was compared to the alternative of being completely broken. She had grown up a lot of the past few months, but unfortunately it seemed that she hadn't outgrown her fear of storms.

She stared blankly in front of her trying to ignore the storm while not thinking about Gumball again. She was failing miserably at her pursuit when she heard it… a footstep coming in her direction. Suddenly her fear of the storm lost its grip and she reflexively jumped up into a battle stance with her sword up and ready for the kill. The source of the noise got closer and closer until she was ready to launch herself into a full on, headstrong, offensive strike with the unknown intruder.

She would have attacked if it weren't for the next thing she heard coming from the shadows. "Geeze Fi, jumping at everything that goes bump in the night now are we?" The voice tsked her and said in a teasing voice, "Is grabbing a sword anyway to treat a house guest?"

She almost laughed as she recognized the voice and lowered her sword. "In my defense you do go bump in the night, and I hardly invited you in."

"I thought a certain Blondie told me I was always welcome here." He said as he stepped out of the shadows with his usual smoothness.

Fionna looked at him for a few moments. Marshall Lee… the one she could never exactly figure out and the one that made her heart flutter in something other than fear. He was something special, and even with his dark eyes and greyish skin, he never failed to look amazing. Even if he was a vampire, he was the closest thing she had to a human counterpart. The bites on his neck proved it to her; he had ties to humanity, severed as they may be… The King of Vampires had once been human. Whenever she asked about it, he told her that he didn't remember ever being human. She believed him, but she couldn't give up the hope that someday she might be able to uncover something small about her past… or the past of her species.

She was picking her brain for a good retort to his "Blondie" comment, but nothing came but a bolt of lightning and the clap of rolling thunder that caused vibrations she could actually feel. Being unprepared and afraid Fionna did something completely unlike her character; she jumped and dropped her sword.

As it clattered to the ground Marshall floated towards her with a look of genuine concern on his face. He knew she hated storms, and though he wouldn't tell her, it was the reason he was here. He had decided when the rain started to pick up to come and check on her, but he hadn't expected for things to get this bad. He touched her gently while standing between her and the sword on the ground. "You okay Fi?" He asked knowing that regardless of what she answered the true answer would be no… no, she was not okay, she was going crazy from lack of sleep and the storm that scared her so utterly and completely.

Fionna bit her lip, she couldn't lie to Marshall, and if she did, she knew that he would know that she was lying. She couldn't do anything but shake her head no. As much as she hated to admit it, she was not okay, and they both knew it.

"Thought so…" He murmured under his breath as he got closer to her. He could pretty much smell her fear of the storm, and knew from the moment that he arrived that she hadn't had a moments rest since cake left for the crystal dimension. He moved so close to her that he could feel her breath on his face, "Why do storms scare you so much Fi?" he asked softly as he picked her up with little resistance.

After he lifted her up, he floated her over to the couch and sat down holding her on his lap. Her brain was frazzled, completely drunk off the closeness of her "maybe more than just friend". She didn't have time to think about how she felt about Marshall because he had asked her a question and was waiting for an answer. "I'm not sure." She said honestly. "Cake told me that I've always hated them… she didn't know why, and neither do I. All I know is that they scare me…" She trailed off she blushed. It embarrassed her to admit that she feared something as silly as storms.

He was going to tell her that everything was alright, but before he could speak another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky with thunder that felt a little too close for comfort. She probably would have jumped a mile if it weren't for the fact that he was now holding her close. "Hush…" He whispered softly trying to calm her. Comforting people wasn't one of his strong suits, but he had to try for her… She made him do a lot of things that were out of his comfort zone. She made him smile, she made him laugh and she made his long dead heart lurch as if it was preparing to beat again. He loved her, he had never said it out loud or to anyone, but deep inside his mind it was perfectly clear… he loved Fionna and he was going to show her. His first act of love would be to get her through the night in as much comfort as he could create for her.

He heard her sniffle like she was going to cry, and although he knew she wouldn't cry in his presence, he still held her tighter. He was trying to let his actions speak where his words did not; he wanted her to feel how he felt for her. "Hush…" He repeated in the same soft calming voice he had used previously, "You're going to be okay Fi…"

She couldn't think clearly, things were happening too quickly in her mind. Her brain was abuzz, the fear from the storm, her proximity to Marshall, her sudden urge to do something completely and totally irrational… She wasn't sure of what to do next, but her heart told her to do something that her mind would normally object to. She pressed herself even closer to the warmth of his body and twisted herself so she was face to face with him.

Before he could react to the situation or even think about what was happening her lips were on his. To his knowledge she had never been kissed before, at least not the way she was kissing him. There was a passion and a somewhat reckless abandon behind it that even he in all his experience found indescribable. He wondered where in Aaa she had learned to kiss like that, but knowing that now was not the time nor the place to ask, he simply quieted his mind and kissed back.

Her momentary insanity was mixed with dread after the first seconds of the Euphoria of the kiss had worn off. Oh my glob! What have I done? Fionna asked herself fearful that as soon as she ended the kiss she would be scolded or made a fool… but really in her mind she was already a fool. Why would an attractive guy who was years older than her waste a moment of his eternity in her? Her thoughts of self-pity and anger were gone the moment she felt him kiss back.

It was like the ecstasy had returned tenfold and was preparing to engulf her. She heard the bash of thunder and the flash of lightning, but there was no fear. She was lost in a maze of blissful emotions that felt like they could hold her for an eternity. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and Fionna slowly pulled her lips away from his. He tasted so sweet… like chocolate and something else she couldn't quite describe… maybe cinnamon… She straightened herself up on the couch, still in his lap, waiting for the awkwardness she thought would follow… whenever she did anything with Gumball there was an awkward time… but this time with Marshall, no awkwardness came. Instead she felt him brush her hair behind her ear and pick her up into his arms.

Marshall picked up Fionna and pulled her tight to his chest, he had wanted this for months and it felt so right, but he had no idea what to do next. He knew she needed sleep, but he didn't want to be away from her now that he knew that there was something between them. He wanted to stay up with her all night and tell her everything about himself and hear everything about her. He wanted to hold her close to him and talk about everything and nothing for hours… but at the same time he knew that he needed to do.

With Fionna in his arms, he floated towards her bedroom, it was late and cake wouldn't be back for hours. He set her down on her bed gently and pulled off his damp shirt. He remembered when, years ago, the tree house used to be his home… he remembered the girl he used to live herewith and how she had stolen his teddy bear from childhood in order to buy a wand from a witch. He remembered kicking her out then not too long afterwards leaving himself to roam Aaa. This place was filled with both good and bad memories for him, but all of the ones dealing with Fionna had been good. He sighed and prepared himself to make another good memory.

Fionna watched Marshall as she lay on her bed. She didn't complain about him carrying her to her bed, and she definitely wasn't complaining now that he was taking his shirt off. She watched as his nimble fingers undid button after button on his red and black flannel shirt. Even though she didn't mind what was happening, she did wonder why it was happening. Why would he carry her here, and why would he start taking off his shirt? It was all so very strange for her and she didn't understand until he walked towards her.

Marshall walked instead of floated over to Fionna trying as hard as he possibly could to act human for her. He wanted her to relax and calm down because what he was about to do wouldn't work out if she were tense. He sat down on the bed then turned to lie next to her. Finding a blanket at the bottom of the bed he pulled it over them and blew out the candle on the table next to them.

"Go to sleep Fi." He said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her. They could talk more in the morning, but right now she needed her sleep.

"But I'm not tired…" She said in a quiet voiced defiance. It wasn't true and she knew it, but she was too happy and excited to sleep… she had too many questions and too many things to say. Most of all she was afraid that she was already asleep and that all of this was a dream.

"Sure you're not…" He said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, "And I'm not Marshall Lee I'm really the Ice Queen." He said with more sarcasm.

Fionna elbowed him and rolled her own eyes, "Not funny…"

Marshall chuckled, "But seriously Fi… get some sleep, you're going to need it." The storm outside was as wild as ever, but he knew at this point that wasn't what was keeping her up, it was he own stubbornness.

"I told you I'm not tired…" She said in a firm dogged tone. She would have been a lot more believable if not for the small stifled yawn she let out after the words.

"Uh Huh…" He said still not believing her , "Well maybe a story will put you to sleep…"

Normally Fionna would've smacked Marshall and would have told him off. Normally she would have told him that she was too old for stories and that she didn't want to hear it. She wanted so badly to tell him that she wasn't a child and that his stories wouldn't put her to sleep… but she couldn't tell him that because she'd be lying. She truly did want to hear his tale, and she honestly couldn't guarantee that the sound of his voice wouldn't lull her to sleep. Honestly, he had put her to sleep before with his singing, and he had calmed her with only a few words and the melodic sound of his voice, so why not now. Maybe this wasn't all a dream and he'd still be next to her in the morning, or maybe it was a dream and she would eventually wake up… but even if it was, shouldn't she enjoy it for all its worth?

She couldn't help herself but wriggle in closer to him and give a nod of consent. Whatever he was about to tell her would be far more interesting than waking up to find she had been dreaming.

"Okay." He said softly as he began his tale. "This is a story you already know Fi, but I think you should hear it again… you might find it a little different this time."

A story she already knew? Fionna had heard many tales in her time, so it was difficult to understand what he meant by the statement… what was he going to do? She didn't really care what he was going to say, but she knew she was enjoying him saying anything. Her face was nuzzled in to his chest, and she could feel the coolness of his skin. He was always cool, never cold, never hot, and with the blanket over her, she felt as though she were at the perfect temperature. He smelled of damp earth and fresh cut grass… he smelled like an adventure… Every time he spoke she could feel the vibration of the words roll through his chest. She was so calm and comfortable that she felt as though she could fall asleep at any moment. The storm be damned, she was comfortable and safe if Marshall Lee's arms. She tried to turn her attention away from sleep and on to the words he was speaking.

"Once upon a time in the land of Aaa there was a young man. He was different from the other boys and men of the land because he was royal… not royal like the Princes of the land… no, royal as the King. The boy was the King of vampires and while there was a queen, he was very lonely. The boy was kind at heart which was something that was lost on his father and the other people of his race, so much so that many of the other vampires were evil… especially the vampire Queen. The Vampire Queen was a regent… a cruel woman who ruled in place of the Vampire King until he was old enough to rule himself. She constantly hurt the young King and told him that he would never be strong enough to rule himself… One day the young boy snapped and killed the Queen, he didn't mean to do it, but it happened… The young man was then appointed as the true Vampire king. For a while the king stayed in charge of affairs for the vampires, but quickly got bored. After a fight with his father the boy left the Nighto'shpere and went to live in other parts of Aaa. The boy traveled for years and years building homes, meeting people, and trying hard to avoid the evil of his people and the cruelty of the deeds he had done…"

Fionna understood what Marshall was doing… he was telling the story of his life to her. She had heard it in bits and pieces from him and others, but never all at once like this. She was rapt with infatuation for the story, and was excited to hear more. She knew it must have taken a lot for him to tell her all this, so she held on to him a little bit tighter in hopes that she could give him the strength to carry on.

"He built a tree home in the middle of a grassy plain… he loved this house and lived in it with a girl named Ashley… Ashley was a vampire just like him, but unfortunately Ashley did not share the kindness the young man held in his heart. Ashley was cruel and full of greed… so much so that she stole something very important to the young king and sold it to a witch. The young king was upset by this and was forced to make the woman leave… After that the King was alone again… wandering for centuries to find anything that made him feel like he was a part of something bigger… After a forever of searching the King gave up and found his way back to his favorite home."

Fionna knew the story from there, but decided it better not to interrupt… she wanted him to keep talking, and she wanted to continue hearing his voice. She was feeling a little tired now, but not enough to make her fall asleep… only enough to make her snuggle up in the blankets a little more.

"The King was surprised to see that living in his house was a little girl and a magic cat… he was even more surprised to see that the girl wasn't just simply any girl, but a human girl. The vampire king knew that humans were extinct, so he was cautious around the girl at first, seeing if she were truly a witch or some other form of trickery… but she wasn't. He thought that there must be something unnatural about her and decided to test this by making her and her cat leave. He followed the girl silently wherever she went in order to learn more about her… The king had always been a very curious man…" He chuckled then and continued on with the story, "He watched as she tried home after home only to find that nothing worked for her… he eventually watched her find the cave that had previously been his dwelling. He knew he should have made her leave immediately, but instead he stayed and watched as she built a beautiful home there. He was beside himself to the point where he went to claim the home as his own… simply expecting the woman to leave and allow him to have it…. But she didn't. She stayed and fought for what was hers, and that surprised the King so much that he gave the girl back the tree house as her permanent home… he figured that she would die soon enough anyway and that he would just simply go and retake the home then… but he found something in the girl that he had not found in any other inhabitant of Aaa. He found in this small human girl an unstoppable courage that he had never found in another. He found his heart begin to feel for the first time in over a thousand years… he finally felt… happy."

He smiled at that and finished the story, "So he watched the girl grow up year after year until he found something more than friendship for her. After searching for centuries trying to find his place he found it not in a land or realm or home, but instead he found it in the heart of a young girl who had the defiance to exist when everyone said her and her race were gone forever. In that girl he found the hope that things weren't always as bad as they seemed, and he found the strength to stand up on his own two feet and know that he truly did belong in this world…"

He looked down at his chest to try and see her reaction, but instead found the girl of his dreams fast asleep pressed against his chest. That's when it happened… he felt something move in his chest… it was almost like his heart was beating once more. He felt as though he were finally complete… that he had found the other half to his whole. He rewrapped his arms around the girl and closed his own eyes with the sudden need to sleep.

When dawn had broken and the storm had passed, the two were still fast asleep. They were wrapped up in dreams of each other and the comfort of each other's arms. The only stir in the tree home was the return of Cake from the Crystal Dimension. She was amazed to see that Fionna was not on the couch, and shocked to see her sword on the floor. She worried about her sister and decided to search the home for her. Luckily the first place she checked was correct and she saw Fionna snuggled tight in her bed… something that amazed her due to last night's storm… She was almost ready to leave the room to make breakfast when she saw that there was someone else in the bed with Fionna. Cake just chuckled to herself as she left the room. "Marshall Lee… you best have been treating my baby right last night…" She smiled after the hushed statement and went downstairs to the kitchen. "It's a good thing I got some nice red apples while I was out… that boy's always hungry like a fiend when he wakes up…"


End file.
